The Master of Science in Accounting at UMass Lowell prepares students for careers in public, corporate, government and non-profit accounting, in addition to qualifying students to meet licensing requirements to become certified public accountants.

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The Massachusetts Board of Public Accountancy has classified MSA program at Manning School of Business as “Level 1” and deemed the program to be substantially equivalent to AACSB standards. Any student who earns a graduate degree in accounting from a Level 1 program is judged to have satisfied the educational requirements to take the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam. Students who earn degrees from non-Level 1 programs must demonstrate that they have satisfied such educational requirements. Therefore, our MSA program’s Level 1 status makes it easier for UMass Lowell accounting graduates to eventually become Certified Public Accountants (CPA).

The MSA will prepare graduates to succeed in a competitive environment and a respected profession, one whose members continue to be in high demand from public accounting firms, financial institutions, industry, government agencies, municipalities, schools, hospitals and charitable organizations. Most courses are available online and the program is open to either full-time or part-time students.

The Master of Science in Accounting requires 10 courses (30 credits). Students complete a core of 5 required courses (15 credits), two additional accounting courses (6 credits), and then complete three courses (9 credits) from business courses outside of accounting. Students can complete the general program or concentrate in a particular field by choosing one of three options (Business Analytics, Corporate Accounting Leadership or International Business).

For more information on the MSA curriculum including course listings, visit the Graduate Catalog.

Admission to the MSA program is open to students who have earned four-year bachelor's degrees in accounting or other fields of study with a 3.0 GPA or higher. Applicants should fill out the graduate application and submit to the Office of Graduate Admissions with an official transcript of grades from their undergraduate institution(s), along with the following:

Three letters of recommendation from employment and/or academic sources.

A résumé containing appropriate background information.

A one-page essay highlighting academic and career goals.

A score report for TOEFL with a score of 100 or an IELTS with a score of 7.0 must be submitted if the applicant is a citizen of a non-English speaking country or has never earned a academic degree in the United States.

New students are admitted to the MSA program on a rolling basis.

Contact information

If you have any questions regarding the MSA or other graduate programs in the Manning School of Business please contact:
ManningMSA@uml.edu or 978-934-2848.

UMass Lowell undergraduate students with a 3.0 GPA or better have the opportunity to save time and money by earning a bachelor's and a master's degree in a little as five years. Students can continue from bachelor’s to master’s level studies within their own department. Or students can apply to a program in a different department to create a set of skills to meet emerging needs in the workplace and their own academic interests.
Learn More

Please refer to the UMass Lowell Graduate Catalog for the latest information about admission, courses, retention, degree and thesis requirements.

In-state

Cost Per Credit: $842.21*

Out-of-state/International Students

Cost Per Credit: $1,496.66*

*These estimated graduate charges are for the 2019-2020 academic year. These prices are subject to change by vote of the UMass Board of Trustees.

Making the Grade

Manning School of Business accounting graduates are among the top performers in Massachusetts on the Certified Public Accounting (CPA) exam. Read more

AACSB Accredited

The UMass Lowell Manning School of Business undergraduate and graduate programs are currently accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the most prestigious organization worldwide for the accreditation of business schools.

Highly Ranked Program

U.S. News & World Report ranks the MS in Accounting among the top 50 Best Online Graduate Business Programs.

Preparing Graduates for Successful Careers

“Leveraging case studies, real-world scenarios and team-building exercises, the accounting concentration prepared me for the wide breadth of concepts tested both on the CPA exam and in practice at a Big Four firm,” says Joseph Perrone '16, '17, who has worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers since 2017.

Assistantships for Full-time Students

Teaching and research assistantships provide promising students with financial assistance to offset the costs of full-time graduate study. They also benefit students by providing opportunities to build knowledge and skill by working closely with the faculty members. Assistantships are awarded competitively based on the student's academic record and prior experience. As part of the assessment, consideration will be given to the potential contribution an assistant can make to the program and college in the areas of instructional assistance and research.

Photo by Ed Brennen

Accounting Faculty

The full-time Manning School of Business faculty includes 13 accounting and over 40 non-accounting members, including Entrepreneurship, Finance, International Business, Management, Marketing and MIS/OIS. See the list of full-time Accounting faculty

Please consult any applicable licensure requirements for this program.